My YETI and ME

I chose to research the YETI brand because they make drink containers that I use. I have my YETI tumbler full of coffee sitting next to me right now. It’s a running joke among stay-at-home moms to compare how many times we found our cup of coffee in the microwave only to reheat it and forget it again. My husband wanted to fix this problem for me, so he started buying me heat-proof mugs for Christmas. It took several years before I got this one, but now that I have it, I will always be loyal to YETI. I never reheat my coffee in the microwave anymore. It just stays hot in here.

Conversations on social media are nearly all positive. YETI has an almost cult-like following with strong brand loyalty from their followers, and I know why. Inc. Magazine says in their article How 2 Brothers Turned a $300 Cooler Into a $450 Million Cult Brand that “the power of the Yeti brand [is that] customers are the ones bragging on it.” Not bad for a small company with 500-1000 employees according to LinkedIn. And it looks like people enjoy working at YETI based on the employee content there. I love the commentary from an intern who had a great summer working at YETI and several posts about a photography shoot in Australia.

When I looked on Facebook where they have over 1 million followers, I found comments like these overwhelmingly positive chat.

And people want the colors. They want all of the colors. Even I want more colors. They started with a quality product then they added customization that drew in a whole new crowd.

As I scrolled, I noticed right away that YETI quickly responds to negative comments and questions on their feeds. I clicked the links just to make sure they were live, and I was immediately taken to the exact place I needed to be on the web. Here are a few where people inquired about getting stock in their area of faulty merchandise, and they were directed to the country specific website and the warranty form. I also noticed several times that the YETI representative asked the customer to direct message them to get further assistance.

As expected, the brand that creates coolers and outdoor gear has the slogan Built for the Wild. On the Our Story page of their website, Roy and Ryan Seiders open with, “In 2006, YETI Coolers was founded with a simple mission: build the cooler you’d use every day if it existed.” They continue with their story here and in the Inc. Magazine article talking about their love for the outdoors, fishing, and their dad. I arrived at an article in Fobes magazine from the YETI LinkedIn page titled Nine Influential Celebrities And Companies With Top-Notch Branding Strategies whereTyler Quiel of Giggster says the YETI branding strategy in not “just about the product; it’s about a feeling, a memory and a place in this world.”

They have a whole campaign with profiles and videos following inspiring people. On their website section YETI Presents where they have stories and videos about surfers, sailors, racecar drivers, and even everyday heroes. My favorite are videos and stories about Tootsie, a hard-working, 80-year-old pitmaster in Texas. YETI Presents: Tootsie

I found Tootsie’s stories on Instagram and Facebook which pulled me to the Snow’s BBQ site. The social media rabbit hole is strong. Now I want pulled pork. 

On TikTok, where YETI lacks a strong presence, the speaker in the video points out that it’s all about your target audience. Hydro Flask delivers a similar product when it comes to drinkware, but the under 25 crowd gravitates towards that brand over YETI. Although YETI has a platform on all the social media sites, it makes high quality, documentary style content to engage an older audience through storytelling and creating an emotional connection to their product. Hydro Flask hits Instagram hard with user generated content featuring a younger demographic focused on friends and individuality. YETI is selling resilience, family, outdoor adventure, and the idea that their product helps you to work hard/play hard.

Clearly, the YETI marketing department has done a great job. In 15 years, the company has gone from a small company that exploded when they became a public company on October 25, 2018, with an initial offering of 16 million shares at a price of $18 per share according to Wikipedia. Today, YETI stock goes for over $88 a share according to the NYSE. I’m a sucker for a feel-good ad campaign, and that may be why I was pulled in by the storytelling strategy on YETI’s social media. That may also be telling of people my age. I fall right between Gen X and the Millenials, and I have no intention of buying a Hydro Flask. As the quick TicToker said, YETI knows their target audience.

Still, I have to say, I never knew anything about YETI as a company or their media presence before I started this research. I only knew that my husband bought me a cup for Christmas that keeps my coffee warm for hours. And it doesn’t break. I know this because I left it on the top of my car and drove away. Once I heard the clunk I pulled over and picked my cup and lid up off the asphalt and the only damage was a few scratches to the paint. However, after learning more about the company, seeing the enthusiasm of their followers, and delving into their online content, I do feel like I’ve made a new friend. I have my coffee tumbler and my waterbottle, and I would buy one of their outrageously overpriced coolers if I could justify the expense. My family and I are not avid outdoors people like some of the inspiring people profiled by YETI, but I would love it if I didn’t have to replace the ice in the cooler when we camp for a long weekend.

P.S. That dirt isn’t from a hike I took in the desert, but I am an adventurous artist. It’s clay from my ceramics class where I still need to keep hydrated.